Taylor’s College Launches CAT and ACCA

Taylor’s College launched its Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) programmes at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus in a ceremony officiated by the Minister of Human Resources, YB M. Kulasegaran.

The Minister of Human Resources, YB M. Kulasegaran, highlighted the importance of positively adopting Industry Revolution 4.0, saying that it was inevitable as Malaysia heads towards a more connected, automated and efficient society.

“From the Ministry’s standpoint, Malaysians should continue to be involved in efforts to be equipped with new skills, engage with the workforce to be ready and march towards this change – individually and on a corporate level- so Malaysians remain competitive on a global scale,” he said.

Taylor’s College Campus Director, Josephine Tan said that it is imperative that education institutions play a part to equip learners with a quality education, including professional qualifications, and extensive skills that are in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) so that they are well able to meet the requirements of employers.

“In the Malaysia Salary Guide 2019 by Kelly Services which was published recently, it was highlighted that a key challenge for employers will be hiring local talents who possess the right skills for the job.”

“This, coupled with the advent of the IR 4.0, institutions of higher learning, like Taylor’s College, need to equip students with human-centered characteristics like critical thinking, people management, emotional intelligence, negotiation, resilience, cognitive flexibility, life-long knowledge production among others. By putting more emphasis on human-centered characteristics, students will be able to better adapt to technological changes upon entry into the workforce,” she said.

In conjunction with the launch, YB M. Kulasegaran also participated in a panel forum with the theme of ‘Revolutionising the Role of Professional Accountants’, which centered on key topics surrounding the role of accountants in today’s professional world and equipping students with the necessary skills, especially in the age of Industrial Revolution 4.0. The forum was also participated in by Baker Tilly Malaysia Partner, Co-leader of Audit & Assurance, Dato’ Lock Peng Kuan; BP Malaysia Country Head, Ainol Roznain Yaacob and 6Biz Founder & CEO, Dato’ Vimmy Yap.

Dato’ Lock Peng Kuan said that the main challenge will be the adoption of IR 4.0 as there is an industry gap in the level of automation and the need in change management and to manage the acceptance with the multi-generations talents that are currently in the work force.

“Industry 4.0 is a natural evolvement and is what professionals are embracing today. However, it isn’t threatening existing jobs but rather a tool in enabling the workforce to progress in the digital age, with AI and robots taking care of the works that the new age talents shy away, which then enable one to move up and focus on more critical roles in contributing to their profession,” he said.

BP Malaysia Country Head, Ainol Roznain Yaacob shared about the urgent need to adapt to technology in the rapidly changing world, where everyone is relying increasingly on technology for speed and efficiency.

“Communication wasn’t as instantaneous as before and in this fast-paced environment, there’s so much more options for students today to gain knowledge. While being well-versed with technology is important, it is also crucial be brilliant at the basics, which involves financial management and accounting, a balance that every organisation needs,” he said.

6Biz Founder & CEO, Dato’ Vimmy Yap shared her personal experience as an accountant and emphasized that technology is essential to improve lives.

“Accountants play a very important role in technology adoption. Their strength in managing risk and finance will help in decision making for corporations and business leaders. Therefore, we should take charge of our own learning and on our own initiatives in order to be Industry 4.0 future proof,” she said.

The event was attended by close to 200 representatives from the industry and students from Taylor’s College.